Two familiar foes, trappers and wildlife advocates, are waging against each other in a debate on whether the rising numbers of bobcat pelt sales are a matter of concern. RedOrbit has a recent story on the topic.
The Humane Society of the United States
and other animal rights groups are asking state wildlife officials to put stronger restrictions on
bobcat trapping, especially in the West. The groups say bobcats are under a greater threat than usual due to
pelt prices that run higher than those for other furbearers.
Meanwhile, experts say that the bobcat population is not threatened and other factors besides trappers have influenced the population more than trapping.
From the story:
“I would say we have a very stable and
healthy population of bobcats out there,” said Kevin Lansford, a
specialist in fur-bearing animals with the Nevada wildlife department
and a former federal trapper.Lansford says that fluctuations
in the bobcat population have far more to do with environmental
conditions than with the number of the animals being harvested for
their pelts.
